


The Dragon and His Bonded

by TammyRenH



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Non-Penetrative Sex, Sexual Content, anti-dragonism, brief kidnappings, dragon!Jensen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-24 01:33:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21330052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TammyRenH/pseuds/TammyRenH
Summary: Jared lives a simple life, he has his art, his family, the cherished books his grandmother left him   But he dreams of a life that is so much bigger, filled with the dragons he has only read about in books,Jensen never stays in one place long, always carefully hiding his dragon self, resigned to living life alone.And then they met....
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Comments: 66
Kudos: 459
Collections: J2 Reverse Bang





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank kelios for her lovely art and for the brainstorming sessions, without both of which this story would have been so much less I also want to thank jdl71 for her great beta work, thanks so much for your help!
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this, I hope you enjoy reading it.
> 
> Kelios awesome art can be found here https://kellios.tumblr.com/post/188929310778/art-post-for-the-spn-reverse-bang-fic-the-dragon

**Jared**

If you asked Jared why he was still unmarried, as he neared his thirtieth birthday, he would give you a host of reasons. His art was everything to him. His family relied on him. He had been so busy perfecting his work with gems and precious stones that by the time he looked around all the young women and young men in his village had paired up. Those things were all true.

But the real reason that Jared had never given his heart away lay in the books that Jared cherished over any of his belongings, except perhaps the first sword that he had decorated, made with his grandfather’s patient help. The books were old, far older than Jared, older than his grandfather would have been had he still lived. The language was archaic, the pages worn thin, even with Jared’s careful handling, the pictures inside the book were faded. But the stories that inhabited those frayed bindings were everything to Jared. He had read them first when he was young, teetering on the fine edge between being a boy and a man. His grandmother had given them to him the day before Jared became his grandfather’s apprentice. At first the archaic language had daunted him, but as he became more and more engrossed in the stories – rich tales of dragons and their riders, of men who wielded swords instead of forging them, of places that Jared could only dream of – Jared found the archaic language beautiful. 

Jared longed to be one of those men in those books – bold, daring, someone special enough to be chosen by a dragon. Instead, he was a dutiful son who crafted hilts for swords and knives and created jewelry. His life had a well-worn sameness to it – awaken, create things of beauty he could not keep, read one of the books before sleep overtook him, start again the next day. He dreamed of a life so much larger, so much freer, than the one he was living.

If he could just see a dragon maybe then – but no, dragons were rare now, far rarer than when the books were written. In the far north, there were reports of a trio of dragons, but the trip was far, and Jared would never be able to leave his family long enough to attempt it. He had conversed with an old man just a fortnight before, who spoke of seeing a dragon in his youth not far from here – huge, black, terrifying but Jared knew age played tricks on one’s mind and even if there had been a dragon then, there was none here now.

Still, Jared dreamed. And in his dreams the black dragon flew over his head and was just as beautiful and fierce as the old man had described.

Jared had lived in this village all his life. He had worked in the family blacksmith shop since the day after he finished his schooling. His grandfather, an artisan of some renown, had taken him under his wing. Jared loved working with the stones and the gems he used to decorate the swords and knives his brother forged. He was proud that every hilt he decorated, or jewelry he created, was unique. The men and women of the village who had watched him grow up were just as proud of Jared’s work as his parents were. They would take his pieces to nearby towns and show off his work proudly. As a result, Jared was becoming more in demand. It wasn’t unusual for someone to come by with an idea or a rough sketch and then entrust Jared to bring it to life. He had just finished the hilt for a sword requested by someone the day before. A stranger his dad said, handing Jared the sketch. His father took care of the customers, made sure Jared had the materials he needed, and was in charge of the books. His dad, like many villagers, didn’t quite trust strangers, but was happy to take their coin,

It was time for the mid-day meal and Jared carefully placed down the necklace he was working on. It was a special request from Hilda Turner, the baker’s wife He wiped his brow, no matter what the weather was, it was always hot when his brother was forging steel. He made his way to the front of the shop, where his father was speaking to a customer.

“It is exactly as I envisioned ,” a man was saying. He was holding the sword Jared had finished just the day before. “Admirable craftsmanship.”

“My son is very good at what he does,” his father commented, pride evident in his voice. 

Jared stepped fully into the room, face slightly heated from the fire he had just left and the compliment that he had just been given. He looked first to his father, as he counted the gold coins that had just been handed to him, then his eyes travelled to the man holding the sword. Jared stepped forward, hand held up in greeting and then his brain caught up with what his eyes were seeing, and he stopped moving, hand still awkwardly in the air.

The man was gorgeous, his features as perfect as if they had been crafted by the most talented of artisans. He was tall, though not as tall as Jared or his brother, and he was slender, and looked to be of Jared’s age, maybe a few years older, but a man in his prime. And his eyes – those eyes that were staring back at Jared – the lushest green Jared had ever seen.

He realized his hand was still in the air, and he quickly lowered it, brushing back his hair as he did so.

His father looked up, as if just realizing Jared had entered the room. “Jared, my boy, you are just in time. This is Mr. Ackles, he has just purchased your sword and seems to be pleased with it.”

“Very pleased.” Mr. Ackles stepped forward, a smile on his lips. He had the air of someone from a noble family, someone born to wealth and privilege and his clothes were well-made, but not gaudy. “And I would prefer it if you would call me Jensen.”

“I am glad you are happy with the sword Mr, Ack - I mean Jensen.” Jared prayed to all the gods that ever were or would be that he would not embarrass himself in front of this man. 

Transaction complete, Jared’s father was obviously ready for Jensen to be on his way. Jared found himself, ridiculously, since he had just met the man, a bit forlorn about Jensen leaving, perhaps never seeing him again.

“If there isn’t anything else,” his father said after a few moments of Jared staring at Jensen, trying hard to come up with something to forestall Jensen’s departure, “it is time for our mid-day meal.”

“Yes, of course.” Jensen turned away from Jared and Jared thought he saw a hint of regret in those beautiful eyes as he did so. “I must admit I have a fascination with how swords are crafted, especially the hilt.” He was looking at the sword again, then turned back to Jared. Jared was taken aback by how bright Jensen’s eyes were. His hand was on the hilt, where Jared had inlaid jewels of green and gold, rubbing the jewels gently. “If you were to humor my curiosity, I would repay you by sharing my meal. In truth, I packed too much, so you’d be doing me a favor by joining me, I hate to waste good food.”

Jared’s father stood impatiently by the door. 

Jared stammered. “The process is not very interesting honestly; I am afraid I would just be boring you.”

“I am very certain I will not be bored.” Jensen smiled again; he really was a very beautiful man. 

“I guess I will see you later then,” Jared’s father said to him. “Remember we are expecting many people to stop by this week. There will be much work to be done.”

Jared was walking toward Jensen, so stunned that this beautiful man really wanted to spend time with him that he barely heard his father’s words and didn’t even notice when his father huffed and walked out the door.   
  


**Jensen**

Pretty.

His dragon had whispered to him as soon as he had first laid eyes on Jared two days previously. It was a glimpse from afar, but even from a distance he had known. He had followed him, saw where he worked, asked around about the blacksmith shop The patrons at the Arrow Inn were suspicious of him at first, but a few glasses of dark beer were all it cost him to find out about the Padalecki boys, one who was<strike>.</strike>the blacksmith, the other one the artist. He knew instinctively that the man that had caught his eye was the artist. He had ordered the sword to be made. The sword was a treasure too, but not as precious as the man sitting cross legged in front of him, sharing his meat and cheese.

Pretty.

His dragon wanted to take this pretty man and give him a place of honor with the rest of his treasures. Pretty eyes, pretty flush on his cheeks, the way that he spoke, shy until he started talking about his grandparents then so animated, shyness forgotten, shining brighter than Jensen’s biggest jewel.

So, so pretty. 

The dragon in him wanted to take him home. So did the man in him.

But men were not trinkets, you couldn’t pick them up and carry them back to the cave, no matter how pretty they were. If he wanted this man, he would have to court him and it had been a long time since Jensen had courted anyone, a very long time. He wasn’t sure he remembered how, but this man made him want to try.

“So,” Jensen began. The last of the cheese had been consumed, the bottle of wine returned to the basket, Jared was looking at the sky, clearly noting that it was time for him to go back to his work. He couldn’t let Jared leave though, not without knowing when he would see him again. “I hear there will be a fair here Saturday.”

“May Day,” Jared confirmed. He was much more at ease with Jensen now, after telling Jensen about his grandparents, after the two glasses of wine, and Jensen was happy he was. “Of course, I am looking forward to the fair. Are you going to dance around the Maypole?” he teased.

“I’ll leave that to the young people,” Jensen answered, smiling. “But the dancing is not all there is, there will be tumblers, jesters, I hear there will be a man that twirls sticks of fire.”

“Yes,” Jared replied. “My father is excited about all the potential business. Already people have come in from other villages, some have indicated interest in our work. We will be very busy trying to ensure that we have goods to sell.”

“Even the most diligent of men deserve a few hours to play,” Jensen observed. He had packed the remnants of the picnic and now all that was left was to be sure he saw this man again. His dragon was beating inside of him, wanting out. He had to get away, had to go where he could let the dragon be free. “I am new to this area, I would very much appreciate it if you would accompany me, so I don’t get lost at the fair.”

Jared looked over to the direction his shop was, biting his lip and Jensen’s eyes tracked the movement, wanted to reach out, wanted to touch. After a few moments, which felt like a lifetime, Jared turned back toward Jensen.

“Well, I’d hate to think of you wandering around lost.”

Jensen couldn’t help but reach out, just a touch – just to touch this man, and as his fingers grazed Jared’s cheek something sparked in him, inside him his dragon roared, from a very far distance he could hear Jared say his goodbyes. He watched Jared walk away and it was all he could do not to let his dragon loose, not to claim his prize, not to take what was his.

After so long, after years and years of looking, long after he had given up hope he had found him –

He had found his rider; he had found the one that was fated to be his.


	2. Chapter 2

**Jensen**

Walking down the mountain was tiresome. He looked up – but it was impossible to see his home, hidden by trees and ridges. It had been his home for centuries, and no one, not even the most adventuresome of climbers, had ever found the place his home was hidden in, although one young boy had once come close.

He much preferred flying. Not just for the joy of it, but for the speed and ease. But he couldn’t risk it, not on this night when everyone that lived in the village, and half the people that lived in neighboring villages, were there for the fair. So, he had flown about halfway, clothes clutched in his claws and after dressing had carefully made his way down the rest of the mountain.

Before he had descended into the village a week ago, lured by tales of an artist whose work was exquisite, it had been eighty years or more since Jensen had entered the village. The cabin up in the mountains had always been his home, he had been born there, he had lived there with his mother until his mother left him one winter morning. She had flown off to visit family across the Restless Sea but had never returned. Jensen himself had left many times, to live in his human skin in villages as far from the mountain as he dared travel. He had many professions – a merchant (doomed to failure as anything bright, precious, unusual or curious always ended up in Jensen’s pile to take back to his cave), an herbalist, a banker, he even played the lute in one village where musicians flourished. He had made a living as a barkeep in the last village he had stayed in, and had stayed there for ten years (making the trek home every few months because he could only be so long away from his treasures) but after that it was time to move on. Jensen aged, but very slowly, and it was never wise to stay in one place too long.

So now he was back home, a place he hadn’t spent much time since his mother had left decades earlier. It made him antsy, to be seen so close to where he stored his treasures. Normally, he would spend maybe a week or two here and then fly off to another village, another life he would fashion out of thin air and make his own. But now that he had met Jared – there was nowhere else he could be but here.

The closer he got to the village, the louder the sounds – music, the sound of a lute played by someone whose forte obviously laid elsewhere, laughter, merchants selling their wares, barkers trying to get anyone and everyone’s attention.

It was dusk by the time Jensen made his way to the blacksmith shop, the place he and Jared had agreed to meet. Jared was already waiting for him, shifting from one foot to another, hands in his pockets, clearly nervous.

It had been a long time since Jensen had courted someone, but he did remember there were rules. Rules that were preventing him from grabbing Jared, pulling him close and kissing him until Jared forgot to be nervous, forgot his own name.

He settled for smiling at Jared instead, a poor substitute for what he wanted to do, but yet he was rewarded with Jared’s smile in return – big like him, dimples flashing, not a hint of guile.

Maybe not such a poor substitute after all.

“I think they are just about to start the Maypole dancing,” Jensen said to Jared, offering him his arm. “Shall we?”

“Yes,” Jared replied. He seemed to hesitate a moment but then took Jensen’s arm. It wasn’t far to the fair and the closer they got, the more excited Jared became. He had to have attended many of these, small villages had fairs and celebrations on a regular basis to distract from the hum-drudgery of daily life. But Jared was as excited as any 8-year-old and by the time they made their way to the crowd surrounding the Maypole he was practically vibrating.

“We made it just in time.” He tugged on Jensen’s arm. “Look how excited the children are. I was just the same when I was their age.”

The children – all under the age of 12 – were dressed in shades of blue – long dresses in pale blue for the girls, knee length shorts in dark blue and shirts in cornflower blue for the boys. The girls had dark blue ribbons in their hair and the boys had ribbons tied around their right arms. 

The man with the lute, along with a pair of pipers, began to play. The man’s lute playing was even worse close by. Jensen resisted the urge to take the beautiful instrument away from the man making unbeautiful music, but it was a near thing.

After the ribbons were wrapped around the Maypole and the crowd began to disperse in several directions, the festivities really began. Jensen bought Jared sweet bread and even sweeter wine. They watched a wrestling match; Jared would make a fine wrestler Jensen thought, he was slender but otherwise had the build for it. Then Jensen, who was a very good wrestler and not just because he had dragon strength in his human body, envisioned pinning Jared to the ground. And then his mind wandered further and by the time the wrestling match was concluded, and the winner handed his gold coins, Jensen was imagining wrestling of a far more intimate sort.

“Are you hot?” Jared asked, looking at Jensen with concern. “You look flushed.”

“I am a bit,” Jensen said, wondering if there was a discreet way he could adjust his trousers. “Hey, look a puppet show. Why don’t you check and see if they are any good while I get something cool for us to drink?”

Jensen hid behind a tent and managed to calm himself down, then grabbed some sassafras tea and some sugared grapes and made his way back to Jared.

Jared was the only adult watching the puppet show. He didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he was sitting on the ground, surrounded by children, and clapping just as hard as any of them and laughing twice as loud.

After consuming the grapes, Jensen saw a flash of fire which he of course had to check out, so he grabbed Jared by the hand and pulled him toward the edge of the fair, where the fire was being twirled in the air.

The man throwing the fire was more boy than man, small boned, hair as red as the fire he was tumbling, features so fine that he almost looked feminine. It was dark here the only light emanated from the sticks of fire that the youth was tossing up, higher and higher. He was good, very good. He twisted and turned and spun. He threw the sticks up and appeared to pay them no mind until a hand snuck out and caught them just as they almost hit the ground. It was a dance, a beautiful dangerous dance.

Jensen tore his eyes from the sight, to look at Jared. Jared’s eyes were bright, wide. His lips were wet, like he had been licking them. He was transfixed, his eyes glued to the man in front of him and Jensen felt such a surge of pure jealousy that it caused him physical pain. 

He grabbed Jared’s hand, Jared’s eyes, glazed over, looked at him in question.

“Come on, there is something else I want to show you.”

The man with the lute was near, Jensen could hear the abysmal sounds the lute was making.

“But I want to see-” Jared protested. 

The fire thrower was coming closer to them, from this distance he looked even younger and his eyes had latched on to Jared. He looked like the kind of person who was used to using whatever he possessed to get whatever he wanted. Well not this time.

“Please?” Jensen asked, drawing Jared’s attention to him again. “It’s getting late and I really want to show you this.”

Jared turned away from the fire-boy, attention now blessedly focused on Jensen. “I’d love to see anything you want to show me.”

Fuck. He couldn’t say things like that because there was a cave full of treasures that Jensen really wanted to show Jared. There was a home with a bed<strike>,</strike> big enough for two. There was a world out there, that would be so shiny and new in Jared’s eyes.

Instead he took Jared’s hand again, so big and steady and warm, and led Jared to where the yellow-haired man was playing the lute.

Before they could reach his destination though, they were waylaid by a very short, very stout, and very over jeweled woman. 

“Hello Mrs. Turner,” Jared said, brushing his hair out of his eyes in a very adorable way. “How are you this evening? Enjoying the fair?”

“Yes, indeed. And I see you are too.” She was looking at where Jensen and Jared’s hands were joined. Jared flushed and pulled his hand away from Jensen. Jensen decided he definitely did not like Mrs. Turner.

“I wanted to check the progress on my necklace. I was wanting to wear it at my dear cousin’s wedding,” she said to Jared. Her face was all smiles when she looked up at Jared, but when she glanced at Jensen the smile had a frozen, stone-like quality.

“Absolutely,” Jared replied. “Come by tomorrow around noon and I’ll have it ready.”

“Purple stones like I asked?”

“Of course. Nothing but the best for you,” Jared responded, smiling down at her.

Mrs. Turner patted his arm. “He’s such a good boy, everyone here is so proud of him. I’ve known him since he was a wee little thing, most of the people here have. There is nothing we wouldn’t do for our Jared.”

It sounded like a warning. And a promise.

After saying their goodbyes, Jared looked at Jensen in apology. “She still treats me like I’m six.”

“It’s okay, it’s adorable the way she wants to protect you from me.” Jensen grabbed Jared’s hand back and Jared squeezed his hand in return. 

Jensen heard the man with the lute again. He had to be stopped.

**Jared**

Jensen stopped in front of a man playing a lute. “Wait here,” Jensen said to him and then gave his hand a squeeze before approaching the musician.

Jared turned back to the direction they came from, he could barely make out the fire sticks being thrown in the air It wasn’t the youth that interested him, in truth it was hard to see anyone else when Jensen was near, but the fire. Jared had always had a fascination with fire, from his earliest memories. It may have been inevitable, growing up in a family that forged steel for a living. He knew fire was a dangerous thing, had learned the lesson the hard way when, at the age of six, fascinated by the way the fire seemed alive, all reds and oranges and sparks, he had wandered too close to the fireplace and a spark had flown up and burnt his arm. But even that painful experience had not diminished Jared’s fascination. If he let himself, he could stare into open flames for many minutes, fascinated by how the fire grew and changed and sparked. To see it flung in the air that way – it was like art come to life. 

Loud voices turned Jared’s attention back to Jensen. Jensen and the musician were arguing, the words too low for Jared to hear but they were clearly fighting – both had their hands on the musician’s lute. Jared bit his lower lip, unsure if he should intervene. The musician was part of the traveling troupe of performers, he did not know him. Still, as a representative of the town, Jared felt a need to play peacemaker but before he could move in their direction the musician let go of the lute, threw his hands in the air, and stormed off.

Jensen was grinning when he turned back toward Jared. He held the lute aloft, as if in victory. Jared had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. 

Jensen pulled the stool the musician had been sitting on closer to Jared and sat down. Jared no longer was looking back at the flying fire; nothing could be more interesting than whatever it was Jensen wanted to show him.

Jensen plucked a few strings, frowned, then made a few adjustments. The lute was old, worn, the strings looked a bit worse for wear, but Jensen kept plucking until he finally seemed satisfied.

“I want to play something for you,” Jensen said to him. “This is a song that I learned when I was young.”

Jensen’s hands flew nimbly over the strings. At first there were no words accompanying the music, just a sweet, haunting melody. It was not a song Jared had ever heard before, yet it felt familiar to him. He walked closer to Jensen, not even realizing he was doing it until he was practically touching him.

Jensen began to sing, voice low and deep and beautiful.

_Will you take my hand_

_Will you go with me_

_Will you take my heart _

_Will you set me free_

_Will you take my love_

_Share my life with me_

_Will you take my hand_

_Will you set me free_

A woman playing a flute came and joined him and the music and the words and Jensen’s melodic voice were just – magic. Others began to join them as they continued to play, but Jared only saw Jensen. Far too soon, it was over.

There was silence when they finished. Jared was too transfixed to move, he felt as if the music had put him under a spell and if he moved the spell would be broken.

Then someone began clapping and soon there were cheers and requests for more. Jensen stood up, bowed and placed the lute carefully back on the stool. Jared stepped forward and drew Jensen into a hug.

“That was the most amazing gift anyone has ever given me,” he whispered to Jensen as Jensen wrapped his hands around Jared’s neck.

“Oh, sweet boy, wait until you see all that I can offer you.”

There was a loud sound of someone clearing their throat and Jared drew back, suddenly self-conscious. Mrs. Turner was standing there, hands on her hips. She did not look happy.

“It’s getting late Jared. Your parents will be wondering where you are.”

Jensen narrowed his eyes and seemed to be about to say something, so Jared thought it was prudent he stepped in. “You are right Mrs. Turner. We are headed home now. I will see you tomorrow yes?”

With one more glare at Jensen, she headed back toward the food stalls.

“I think she is beginning to like me,” Jensen commented, and his hand reached for Jared’s again. 

Jared took it, he knew he should be more cautious, but when Jensen’s hand touched his – he felt connected to him in a way he hadn’t felt to anyone before. 

“I do really need to get back,” Jared said, truly regretful. “I have to finish Mrs. Turner’s necklace and I have a few other orders to fill. I’ll have to get up pretty early as it is.”

Jensen looked like he was going to argue, but then flashed that smile at Jared that made his heart beat faster. “At least let me walk you home.”

The moon was shining down on them, the stars so plentiful and bright were sparkling above their heads. The sounds of the fair began to fade the closer they got to his parent’s home. Their steps slowed, soon they were walking so slowly a tortoise could have passed them by.

“I want to see you again,” Jensen said to Jared as inevitably they reached Jared’s parent’s door.

“Thank you. I mean – yes, I’d like that,” Jared replied, proving he was not at all sophisticated.

There were a few more moments of silence. Jared could hear movement in the house, he felt sure they were being watched.

“Would it be too bold if I were to kiss you?” Jensen asked. “I know we haven’t known each other –”

Jared would never know what possessed him, but he leaned down and pressed his lips to Jensen’s. Jensen gave a gasp, and then grabbed Jared’s hips and pulled him closer. Jensen deepened the kiss and his tongue was pushing against Jared’s lips and Jared was just about to open his mouth, let him in, when the front door opened. 

Jared’s father was standing there. Feet planted. Arms crossed. “It’s bedtime. Past time actually.”

“You didn’t have to wait up –” Jared began, but Jensen was already letting go of him, already moving away.

Jared felt a sense of loss, intense and sharp.

“I’ll be back soon Jared. I have some things I want to show you.”

“Okay.” 

“Jared –” Jareds’s father voice was angry now.

“Goodbye Jensen.” 

His lips still felt warm where Jensen had kissed him, Jared found himself touching them as he entered the house and Jared’s father shut the door firmly behind him.

“I do not like that man,” Jared’s father declared. “He is a stranger Jared, he’s not to be trusted.”

“Okay,” Jared responded, head too far into the clouds for the words to really register.

He headed to his bedroom, absently humming the melody from the song Jensen had played for him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Jared**

It wasn’t dawn yet when Jared left his parent’s home to head to the blacksmith shop. The moon was hidden by clouds, the sky dark and there was a coolness in the air that hadn’t been there the night before. Jared decided to take the short cut across the meadow, the path well known to him so he could follow it easily even with visibility being so poor.

The town was quiet, asleep. The traveling performers had packed up and left around midnight, they were probably now camping near Varsyl which was the next village over. At the edge of town, farmers would be stirring, getting ready to begin their daily chores. At the other end of town, Mr. Turner would be putting his first loaf of bread in the oven. But here it was so quiet that Jared could hear the grass rustle under his feet as he made his way across the meadow.

Normally he would not be up at this hour. But he had promised Mrs. Turner the necklace would be ready by noon, plus sleep had eluded him. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt Jensen’s hand in his, saw Jensen’s bright green eyes smiling up at him, heard Jensen singing that beautiful, haunting song for him, and felt Jensen’s lips on his. Especially Jensen’s lips on his.

He heard it before he saw it. A rustling sound, like a strong gust of wind but nothing near him was stirring. Jared looked up, trying to see movement in the inky dark sky. The clouds were large and grey but in between them – was something even darker, and very large.

Jared stopped walking, eyes straining to figure out what the object was. It would disappear into the clouds and appear again, misty darkness against the black sky and every time it reappeared it was closer, appeared bigger.

And then it was above him, still high in the air and Jared was arching his neck, trying to make out what the dark shape could be. He could see wings now, but they were attached to something bigger than any bird he had ever seen, bigger than any animal he had ever heard of.

For a long moment, the thing hovered above him, the world went silent and still.

And then the thing moved, it was headed right to Jared and Jared had been wrong when he thought it had been big – it was enormous. He waited a beat too long to react and before he could convince his feet to move, the thing was on him.

And he was in the air.

He was in the air, and the earth was far below him.

Something was holding him up there, but in his panic Jared couldn’t make out what. He was high, higher than any tree he had ever climbed. His heart was about to beat out of his chest and when he tried to take a breath, the pressure on his chest made breathing difficult.

They were headed to the mountains, moving so fast everything was a blur below him. Jared was just aware that something sharp was holding on to his shoulders, pinching in a way that was slightly painful but holding on to him in a way that assured him he wouldn’t fall, when they circled around a small cabin – he barely got a glimpse of it before they were headed behind the mountain, into the mouth of a big cave.

And then he was being set down so gently it took him a moment to realize he was standing. Behind him was the cave, dark and foreboding.

And in front of him –

In front of him –

A dragon. It looked like the illustrations in the old books Jared cherished, but bigger and more terrifying.

Jared skittered back from it as the dragon landed on the mouth of the cave, it quirked it’s head as if considering him and Jared couldn’t breathe through the terror.

The dragon stepped closer to Jared; Jared scrambled further back landing on something sharp.

He turned his head to look, and he could see hundreds of dark objects surrounding him. He felt hot breath on his face and realized the dragon was towering over him. Jared was trapped between the mountains of items behind him and the dragon above him.

The dragon lifted his head and breathed fire.

Actual fire.

Jared made an embarrassingly high-pitched sound and pushed himself back onto the pile of sharp and pointy items behind him.

He blinked when he realized it was lighter in the cave.

It took a moment to realize the dragon had lit a torch. Jared watched with horrified fascination as the dragon carefully made it’s way around the cluttered cave and lit the other three torches, all of which were attached to the wall.

It was clear now that the items in the cave were various kinds of jewelry, stones, knives, swords. There were a variety of colors, a lot of sparkly bits that glimmered in the torch light. Fancy combs, jeweled boxes, the piles went back as far as as Jared could see. It would take a lifetime to amass this much stuff, two lifetimes.

The dragon was standing by the side of the cave, watching him. Now that there was light, Jared could see there were paths leading all around the piles of things. It was much more organized than he had originally thought. 

Jared stood up. The dragon spread its wings a bit, and they settled back down. 

The dragon was black with dark scales, sleek wings, a long tail and even through his terror, Jared could see it was beautiful.

It had also kidnapped him, and the gods only knew why.

The dragon moved closer to him, slowly. There was no place to hide, no place to go.

“Please,” Jared found himself pleading. “Please, stop.”

The dragon did, to Jared’s surprise. Maybe it did understand him.

“I want to – can you please just take me home?” Jared asked. “Please?”

The dragon reared up, smoke coming from its nose and Jared was so terrified that the world went white for a moment. He began reaching for something – anything – to use to defend himself against such a massive creature.

His hand blindly grabbed something he saw out of the corner of his eye. It rested on the side of the cave, right under the torch, separate from all the other things in the cave. It was long and shiny. It was a sword.

He held it in both of his shaking hands, facing the dragon and then his eyes latched on to something green and sparkly. He recognized the artwork on the hilt. This was not just a sword; it was Jensen’s sword.

He looked around the cave, but there was no sign of Jensen.

“Did you – did you take Jensen too?” Jared asked the dragon. “Is he okay? Where is he?”

The dragon ruffled its wings, but otherwise didn’t move.

Jared couldn’t just stand here; Jensen could be in trouble.

Summoning every bit of courage he could find within himself, he pointed the sword at the dragon. “I demand you take me to him now.”

The dragon’s wings spread out, they were so huge that they spanned the whole cave and Jared realized just how inadequate a weapon the sword was. The dragon stared at him, and Jared felt a strange sense of déjà vu but before he could focus on the feeling, the dragon was in flight. Jared ran to the edge of the cave, just in time to see the dragon disappear over the top of the mountain.

He looked again at the sword in his hand. Jensen was so proud of it; he had talked about it endlessly the day they had met. He wouldn’t have given it up voluntarily If this was the dragon’s cave, and this was Jensen’s sword, where was Jensen?

**Jensen**

Jensen landed in front of his house, immediately taking his human form.

He sat on the ground, still naked, placed his head in his hands and struggled to find calm.

It had all gone so terribly, terribly wrong.

Jensen, in either his dragon or human form, craved pretty things, wanted to fly free, and now wanted Jared to be his. In his human form he was able to, barely, curb the desire to take Jared but in his dragon form –

Jared would never forgive him. How could he?

And now Jared thought he was some kind of monster. Thought he kidnapped people and hurt them. Jensen’s need for Jared burned inside him, hotter than any fire but now – now Jared would reject him for certain.

He stood up on shaky legs, and went inside his house.

He looked around for something to give Jared, something to show him how much he cared about him, something to prove he was worthy of Jared and as he picked up each object and discarded it, he came to realize – everything was junk. Everything he owned and treasured was just junk.

Jared was going to refuse him, and he would be left in this lonely place with his junk and it was all his fault.

Jensen liked to take charge of things, he preferred action over passivity. He knew he had two choices, he could mope about this and hide away from Jared forever, or he could face what he had done and the consequences.

It still took him a long time to work up his courage. He put on a pair of pants, a linen shirt, left his feet bare.

He walked to the back of the house, to the small hidden door that led to the cave.

He took a few deep breaths and then opened the door.

**Jared**

The dragon had been gone for a long time. Jared had passed the time by exploring the cave. There was no way out that Jared could find, the cave’s entrance led to a sheer drop off. 

He was stuck here until the dragon came back to finish whatever it was it started, because there was no way anyone could find him in such a remote place.

Attempting to stave off the blind panic that threatened to overwhelm him, Jared took a closer look at the things in the cave. There were thousands of objects, some as small as a stone, some big like the curved door, taller than Jared, engraved with a picture of a sunrise. Stones sparkled in the light carried by the torches, and jewels glittered. Some of the things looked old, from another time and place. Some, like the sword, were new. He had just picked up a hairpin, decorated with intricate dragonfly wings, when he heard a sound from behind him.

He turned around to find Jensen standing there.

“Jensen!” Jared rushed toward him, flinging his arms around the shorter man. “Jensen, oh my gods when I saw your sword, I was so worried. How are you? Are you okay? Did it hurt you?”

Jensen was looking at him strangely, almost sadly. He lifted Jared’s hand, opening it to reveal the decorated hairpin that Jared had forgotten he still held. “This belonged to someone I knew long ago. She was young, your age maybe, when I first met her. She was pretty, that was the first thing I noticed, but I came to prize her for her intelligence, her quick wit. She saw that I had an eye for pretty things and one day she took this right out of hair and handed it to me. I always wondered if she knew the truth about me.”

Jared looked at the hairpin and then Jensen again, puzzled. “The dragon took this from you too?”

Jensen was looking at him, and there was a range of emotions rushing across those exquisite green eyes -sorrow and fear and –

Those green eyes.

Jared had a flash of the dragon rearing up, wings held aloft, looking down at him with those -

Same green eyes.

The hairpin slipped from his fingers, falling unheeded to the ground.

He took a few steps back. Jensen moved as if to follow him.

“Don’t, stay away from me.” He picked up the sword again, held it up. “Stay away from me, dragon.”


	4. Chapter 4

**The Villagers**

“I’m telling you it was a big bird. A big black bird. I know what I saw,” Joe Turner repeated for about the tenth time.

By midmorning the news of Jared’s abduction had spread through the village. Joe Turner, being the one who had seen the big black bird swoop down out of the sky and pick Jared up, was in the center of the circle of villagers. Beside him, his wife was practically vibrating with righteous indignation.

Thomas Padalecki, Jared’s father, shook his head. “It just doesn’t make any sense. I’ve never seen a bird that big. Nobody has. And what would a bird want with my boy?”

A few precious hours had already been devoured <strike>by</strike> scouring the village for Jared. There was no doubt that Jared was missing. He wouldn’t leave on his own not without telling someone, everyone agreed on that.

“You were quite a ways away, maybe you saw something else,” Shandra Padalecki said, clutching her husband’s hand.

“He flew right over my head, headed right for the mountain. I know what I saw,” Joe insisted.

“Weren’t no bird.”

Everyone’s head turned at the frail voice. Grandy made his slow, careful way to where the Padaleckis stood. Accounts differed about his age, but Grandy allowed a hundred was just as good a guess as any.

“I know what I saw –”

“I know what you saw too. Cause I saw it myself – back when I was about this young one’s age.” Grandy gestured to a young lad of around 12.

“Couldn’t be the same bird. Nothing lives that long,” Mrs. Turner said. “No disrespect intended.”

Grandy snorted. “Well, things normally don’t, that’s true.“

“So, what did you see way back then?” Mrs. Padalecki asked, and after Thomas made a noise of impatience. “It could help, it could lead us to where Jared is.”

“I was the adventurer back in those days, always up on the mountain, exploring. My mother was always worried, telling me stories about strange things in the mountains, things that would eat young boys whole but I never paid her any mind, I figured she was just telling stories, trying to keep me home and safe.”

Grandy had everyone’s attention now, the whole town listening as if mesmerized.

“I used to make my way up to the top of the mountain, then head right back down. But that got old after a while, so one day I made it about halfway then started crossing over, near a creek up there. I hadn’t gone too far, maybe a mile or so when I heard a sound, so loud I had to cover my ears and then I could feel it – like waves of wind pushing against me and when I looked up I saw it – big and black, just like Joe here said, but it weren’t no bird. It was a dragon.”

Several in the crowd gasped.

Thomas grumbled, “Just a kid’s overactive imagination. There’s never been a dragon around these parts.”

“Except there was. I told everyone, tried to warn them, but they were like you lot. Wouldn’t believe what they couldn’t see. Well now Joseph here has seen it too. I am telling you, if something took young Jared, it was that dragon.”

The Padaleckis looked at each other. Trevor, Jared’s brother, chimed in, “Could be he’s telling the truth.”

“That’s not all, I saw that boy of yours with a man yesterday at the fair. Short dark blonde hair, green eyes, has a look about him you aren’t likely to forget.”

“Yeah, met him yesterday. Didn’t care for him much. Got a funny name –” Mrs. Turner began.

“Jensen. Jensen Ackles,” Grandy supplied.

“Did you meet him too?” Thomas asked.

“Sure did, he used to come to town all the time, back when I was young.”

“You must mean his father or something,” Mrs. Padalecki said frowning.

“No, it was him. Bet what’s left of my life on it. Tell you another thing, this Jensen guy stopped coming around just at the same time I spotted that dragon.”

**Jared**

“I can’t believe –” Jared’s hand was shaking on the sword, but he still held it out in front of him. “I trusted you.”

“You can still trust me.” Jensen stood still, hands by his side.

“You – you kidnapped me!” 

“Well, technically it was my dragon –” Jensen began but stopped at the look of fury in Jare’s eyes. “Look, I can explain all of this, just let’s – let’s go into the house, I’ll make you some tea.”

Jared looked at him incredulously. “You want me to drink tea with you?”

“Yes. I also have a couple of those little butter cakes the baker makes. They are very good,” Jensen added.

“You kidnapped me, and now you want me to sit down and drink tea and chat with you like this is a – social call?” Jared asked.

“And have cake. Don’t forget the cake,” Jensen said. He was walking to the door he came from. “Are you coming?”

Jared stood his ground for all of fifteen seconds before curiosity lured him through the door.

The house was small, and neat. The door was in the back of a closet, which Jared had to crouch down to get through, but once through led to a bedroom. The bed was huge, Jared couldn’t imagine how anyone had gotten it up the mountain and then he remembered that Jensen was a dragon (a dragon!) and even then, that had to be quite a trek. The headboard was a dark, smooth wood that Jared didn’t recognize. There were carvings in the headboard, a dragon, the sun, the markings faded but still visible. There was a small table by the bed, a few objects that glittered in the dark room, and a floor-to-ceiling mirror covered one wall. 

A lantern was suddenly shoved into his hand. Startled, Jared almost dropped it.

“Here, this will help with your snooping,” Jensen said, then turned back around, heading back into the hallway. “When you are ready for tea, the kitchen is down this hallway and to the left.”

“I’m not –” But Jensen was already gone.

Well, if he practically had permission –

A picture hung on the wall, depicting a beautiful woman, with long blonde hair and green eyes. The little boy along side of her had matching eyes, slightly darker hair, and the portrait’s artist had even added Jensen’s freckles. Jared wondered if she too was a dragon, and if so, what had happened to her.

“My mother.” Jensen was back, tea in hand. 

“Was she a – like you?” Jared asked.

“Like me how? Clever? Charming? Ridiculously good looking?” Jensen asked, eyebrows raised.

Jared felt his face get hot. “You know what I mean.”

“I do,” Jensen acknowledged. “Come, we will sit down, have tea. I’ll tell you my story. And then – if you still want to go back to the village, I will take you there.”

“Really?” Jared asked.

“I’ll even let you ride on my back this time,” Jensen said, and his wink caused Jared’s face to flush even darker.

The tea was sweet, with a taste of cinnamon. The little cakes were, as promised, quite good. But Jared was too nervous to fully appreciate them.

He was sitting across the table from a real-life dragon.

Who right now had a smudge of cake on his lower lip that Jared really wanted to wipe off.

With his tongue.

Jared gave himself a mental shake. This was no time for his thoughts to wander into his dragon fantasies. Jensen was dangerous and Jared had no way to fight him, not if Jensen took his dragon form. He was in deep trouble here and the last thing he needed to focus on was Jensen’s lips.

Jensen’s full lips and Jensen’s tongue that had just crept out to swipe that little bit of cake from –

Focus, Jared.

“Why am I here Jensen?” Jared asked, as a way to force himself to concentrate on the situation he was in. “What do you want from me?”

“So many things,” Jensen replied. He leaned back in the chair, and folded his arms against his chest. “I want you. I know I shouldn’t just go and say things like that, but if this is the only chance I get – I am going to tell you the truth Jared. I want you. I want you to stay here with me. I want you to be mine. And I want to be yours.”

“It doesn’t make sense.” Jared stood up, almost tripping over the chair in his need to move around. “Why me? I’m nobody special.”

Jensen stood up too, not intercepting Jared, just watching as Jared paced around the room from one spot to another, never really landing anywhere. “Do you have any idea how old I am?” Jensen asked, after a few minutes of watching Jared’s restless movements.

Jared thought back to the huge pile of jeweled things in the cave, and the picture of Jensen and his mother; weathered and faded. “A hundred?” Jared asked tentatively, wincing at his own guess. Nobody looked like Jensen and was that age.

Jensen laughed. “Thanks for the compliment. Try three times that. And counting.”

That shocked Jared into stillness. He happened to be near Jensen. A few steps closer and he could touch him. Not that he wanted to. Besides – “Three hundred? That’s not possible.”

“Dragons age slowly, very much so. The point I am trying to make here Jared is that I have been around a long, long time. And yes, I have courted women and men. Have taken some as lovers. Have even loved a few of them for a time. But you – the moment I touched you, I knew you were the one.”

Jared felt a flash of jealousy at the mention of Jensen’s lovers, which was ridiculous. Jensen was a big scary kidnapping dragon. He was going to have to remember that.

“The one what?” he asked, after Jensen stared at him pointedly with his eyebrows raised. Jared may have gotten lost a second or two in those long, pretty eyelashes. But just a second or two.

Jensen shrugged. “I can’t describe it beyond that. In the books you told me about, did they find someone? The dragons?”

“Their rider.” They had somehow moved closer to each other. “You want me to be your rider?”

“I want you to be my rider, my lover, my companion, my partner.” Jensen’s head was tilted up and Jensen’s hand was somehow behind Jared’s head and their lips were touching, sweetly at first, a brush of lips. Then Jensen pushed Jared against the kitchen wall, and he had both hands in Jared’s hair, pulling his head down and his tongue was pushing against Jared’s closed lips and Jared opened to him.

With a sigh, Jensen spun them around and Jared’s whole world was spinning, drowning in Jensen’s kiss, in the taste and <strike>the</strike> feel of him.

Jensen’s tongue touched his and Jared was so overwhelmed by the intensity of what he was feeling that he took a step back, actually he stumbled backwards.

As soon as he lost contact with Jensen, he was sorry he had done it, but he had to get his breath, had to refocus his mind. Had to remember that Jensen was a –

“I would never hurt you,” Jensen promised, hands held out in front of him. “I would never hurt you, in either of my forms. I swear this to you.”

“This is all just –” Jared waved his hand vaguely, unable to express how overwhelmed he was.

“I know this is intense, too sudden and I meant to do this so much better. I meant to court you.”

“Court me?” Jared asked. His breathing was returning to normal, but his body felt so – lost – so far from Jensen. He took a few steps closer. “I had no idea dragons were so old fashioned.”

“My dragon wanted to take you the moment I saw you, the brightest treasure in my collection. My dragon wanted to show you pleasure so blinding it would burn and consume you. My dragon wanted to make you ours.”

Fuck. 

They were so close now that Jared could feel Jensen’s breath against his skin.

“So why didn’t he – I mean you?” Jared asked.

“Because I didn’t want to scare you.”

Jared was feeling many emotions. Need, desire, confusion, but he was surprised to find that fear wasn’t one of them. He was no longer afraid of the dragon, or of the man standing in front of him.

“If you give me a chance, I could do this properly.” Jensen placed a hand on his hip, rubbing a circle on the fabric covering Jared’s hip bone. “Do you think you could do that for me? For us? Give me the chance?”

“I need to go home,” Jared blurted our. 

Jensen stepped back. “Right, of course.”

Jared took Jensen’s hand in his, echoing Jensen’s earlier action by rubbing his thumb across Jensen’s. “I expect all the people who court me to be on time of course, so I will be expecting you promptly at six o’clock tomorrow.”

Jensen’s smile could have blinded the sun.

“All the people that court you?” Jensen asked, a teasing tone back in his voice. “How many suitors am I going to have to fend off to win your heart?”

“Oh, so many,” Jared said, and then leaned down and kissed Jensen again. “But only one dragon.”

“I could fly you down,” Jensen offered.

“No thank you, my shoulders may never recover as it is,” Jared faux complained, rolling his shoulders in an exaggerated motion. 

Jensen pushed him away, but then immediately reached out and grabbed both of his hands. “As I stated earlier, on my back this time.”

“I’m not sure I am ready for that,” Jared confessed. 

Jensen nodded. “It would be better if we were bonded first.” Jensen broke away from Jared and picked up a pair of shoes. “I am rusty on this, but I am pretty sure the first step in courting is to walk you home.”

Jared felt a stab of happiness at the thought that they could spend a little more time together. Still. “Well, not all the way home. I am going to have to explain things to my parents, my family. I need time to think about how to explain this, you. And I can’t think when you are near.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Halfway then.” Jensen held out his hand and Jared took it. For a long while they walked in companionable silence.

It was beautiful out, the afternoon sun was to the west of them. The path down was rocky, but not extremely difficult. It gave Jared a lot of time to muse over the last few hours. About the books he had read, about what Jensen had said to him.

“You said we should wait until we were bonded to fly together,” Jared began. They were nearing the halfway point and it would soon be time to tell Jensen goodbye.

“When a rider and a dragon are bonded, they fly as one. That should be your first experience, I want that magic for you.”

“But I thought you knew I was meant to be yours from the moment we touched, doesn’t that make us bonded?” Jared asked.

“I am bonded to you.” Jensen stopped walking. The sun was at his back, framing his hair and face in a bright halo. The glaring sun made it hard to look at Jensen, but his beauty was impossible to turn away from. He took Jared’s hand and placed it over his heart. “I feel you in here, but even more than that. I feel you in my very being. I know at this moment that you are anxious, excited and a bit fearful, because I can feel what you are feeling.”

“But I can’t feel you,” Jared stated, dropping his hand from Jensen’s chest. “So, the problem is me.”

“There is no problem. As you let go of your fear, as you open your heart, the bond will form on your side too. There is no timetable for this Jared, there is no way for you to do this wrong. In fact, your hesitation is at least partly due to my dragon’s actions, so if there is blame, it is on me.” As Jared opened his mouth, Jensen placed a finger on his lips. “It’s been a lot today, we can talk more about this tomorrow. I know you want to get home, reassure your family.”

Jensen stood up on his tiptoes, and once again their lips met. Jared felt the same rush of want and need that he had felt the first time they had kissed, even though this one was short and sweet. “Until tomorrow my intended, and I promise I will be on time.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Jared**

His mother was wringing her lands, while pacing the floor. Jared was sitting in a chair, worn out from the argument that had started with his father. His father had met him at the foot of the mountain to tell him that everyone now knew that Jensen was a dragon, and an evil dragon at that, and the tirade he began was continuing now with his mother.

“Maybe it would be better if you went away for a while. We have cousins in Bristel you could visit.”

Jared loved his mother, he really did, but this was getting tiresome. “I’m not going anywhere. And I will be seeing Jensen again. I am sorry you don’t like it, but you aren’t going to change my mind about this.”

“It’s dark magic,” his mother said, not for the first time. “Everyone knows dragons practice dark magic.”

Jared barely resisted banging his head on the table. “There is nothing dark about Jensen.”

“That’s why he had to hide away,” his mother continued as if he hadn’t said a word. “Black magic.”

“He had to hide away because of this –” Jared got up. “This is getting us nowhere. I know you think you have my best interest at heart, but I am a grown man and I know what I want. You don’t have to like it, but you do have to accept it, or I’ll have to make other living arrangements.”

His mother looked at him. “See what he’s doing. You’ve never talked to me like this. He’s magicked you and he’ll turn you against us.”

“Mother –” Jared sighed. There was no talking to her when she was like this. Instead he placed a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“That’s a very good idea. You sleep on it,” she said, smiling once more. “You’ll feel more clear headed in the morning.”

He felt that it was a great show of restraint on his part that he didn’t slam the door when he went into his bedroom.

The need for restraint continued the next day.

Not only did his parents continue their crusade on the evilness of dragons, but so did his brother, his neighbors, everyone that walked into the blacksmith shop. Even the sight of her necklace couldn’t stop Mrs. Turner from warning Jared about dragons and their evil habit of placing people under their spell.

He had never been so happy for a workday to end before. Even his precious stones and jewels gave him no pleasure. The pieces of jade reminded him of Jensen’s eyes, the block of onyx of Jensen’s shiny scales. Jensen was in everything he touched, but he wasn’t there with him and he yearned for time to pass so he could get away from all the well-meaning people and be alone with Jensen.

His mother was not happy Jared would not be eating dinner with them, but as Jensen clearly wasn’t welcome, Jared had no intention of staying.

Instead he packed a few of his favorite foods – salted pork and a few vegetables from the garden. He added a bottle of wine and he made his way to the foot of the mountain.

Jensen was just making it there, clearly winded. He bent over, hands on his thighs. “I kept my word,” he said, barely able to get the words out between huffs of breaths. “I am on time.”

Jared looked at him, amused. Jensen was red-faced, sweat covered his forehead, he was breathing so hard that Jared half expected smoke to come out of his mouth . And yet, unfairly, was still beautiful.

“Did you run down the mountain?” Jared asked and then after Jensen nodded. “Why didn’t you just fly?”

“I didn’t want to shock you,” Jensen said. He was slowly raising back up again, his breathing was a little less labored.

“Why would I be shocked?” Jared asked. “I’ve seen you fly before. You kidnapped me just yesterday. What could be more shocking?”

Jensen wiped his face off with the bottom of his shirt. This action left his lower stomach exposed. Jared’s eyes were drawn to the spot. Jared looked back up when he heard a snort. “What?” he asked, knowing he was already beginning to blush.

“And that’s why not,” Jensen replied, with a smile on his face. “If that’s your reaction to seeing a tiny part of me, imagine your reaction to all of me.”

Jared looked at him, confused. Jensen must have sensed it because he added, speaking slowly as if Jared were a small child. “My dragon doesn’t wear clothes, so when I transform …”

“Oh.” Jared said and then blushed. “Ohhh.” He could feel his face getting even hotter. “That doesn’t explain why you had to run though. Busy doing dragon things and forgot all about me?”

“I was looking for something. I guess I lost track of time.” Jensen was now studying the ground pretty hard. Jared looked down too, but didn’t see anything that warranted that much attention .

“Are you going to tell me, or do I need to guess?” Jared teased.

“I’ll tell you later.” Jensen stretched his arms out, giving him another delicious peek of skin and then smiled at Jared. “So today is our first official day of courting. What would be your pleasure?”

Jared held out the basket. “We had a picnic before remember? The first day we met. I thought we could do it again, by the apple grove. It belongs to Farmer Gregor, but he doesn’t mind if the villagers go out there. I brought one of my grandmother’s books to show you, you don’t have to look at it if you don’t want to, I just thought – we had talked about it and –”

“I would love to look at your book. I know the books are precious to you, so thank you for sharing one with me.” Jensen took Jared’s hand, kissing the back of it before leaving their hands clasped together. “Dinner, entertainment, even apples for dessert. It looks like you thought of everything. I thought I was supposed to be courting you, not the other way around.”

Jared smiled at him, suddenly just happy to be in this moment, to be by Jensen’s side. “I thought we could court each other.”

“Excellent plan.” Jensen took the basket from Jared and for a few seconds they pretended to fight for it, before Jared graciously let Jensen carry it. “Lead the way.” They had only walked a few yards when Jensen spoke again, his voice serious. “I almost came down the mountain much earlier. You’ve been unhappy. Has someone upset you?”

“Ah, the bond.” Jared felt a flash of guilt that the bond was so one sided but then remembered Jensen telling him it would come in time. “You probably should know this anyway, but the townspeople have figured out you are a dragon.”

“And I am guessing they aren’t thrilled by this news?” Jensen asked, with a reassuring squeeze to Jared’s hand.

“They are convinced you practice black magic and I am under your spell or some nonsense like that,” Jared replied honestly.

“And what do you think?” Jensen asked. Jared couldn’t feel what he was feeling, but it was obvious by his body language that he was tense and not all that happy with what Jared had told him.

Jared pulled his hand from Jensen’s so that he could put both hands on Jensen’s face. He brought their lips together. Once. Twice. “I think I am a very lucky man.”

**Jensen**

He had known Jared was his from the first touch, but nothing surpassed being able to get to know him. They had been sitting under this apple tree for hours, the meal was long gone, the wine bottle empty, with the book laid out between them. In that time Jensen had learned that Jared had a wit that was as sharp as his mind, a heart open and loving, and a curiosity about everything and anything.

“And all dragons bond with someone?” Jared asked. He was leaning against the tree, his beautiful multi -colored eyes fixated on Jensen. If Jensen wasn’t careful, he would drown in them.

“No, despite what the books lead you to believe, it is exceedingly rare to find a bond mate.” Their fingers were once again intertwined, Jensen’s thumb was rubbing against Jared’s fingers. Even this innocent touch was sending waves of want and need through him, he could tell Jared was not unaffected. He could feel how his love yearned for him. It made his dragon happy.

“And because of the bond you know what I am thinking?” Jared asked. His grin was mischievous. “If that is so, tell me what I am thinking right now.”

“I’m not able to read your mind.” Jensen carefully moved the book; it was a treasure of Jared’s and he wanted it to be safe. “I cannot tell you what you are thinking.” He began rubbing Jared’s thigh with his free hand, slowly inching higher, watching Jared’s eyes widen and darken. “I can tell what you are feeling though.”

Jared’s voice was unsteady as he asked, “What am I feeling?”

“Desire,” Jensen answered, leaning closer to nuzzle at Jared’s neck, place kisses on the soft skin there. He unlaced their fingers, and, in a bold and probably very unwise move, straddled Jared’s hips. 

Jared gasped and Jensen had an overwhelming need to touch him, to see more of him, to show him how much he was wanted. He placed his hands under Jared’s shirt and started to pull up. For a second Jared hesitated, and then he lifted up his arms and Jensen pulled his shirt off.

Jared took his breath away. He was so, so beautiful His muscles rippled with every breath he took, his shoulders were broad, his waist trim. And his hip bones – Jensen stroked one, rubbing circles around the sensitive skin there. Jared was watching him, biting his lip. “I could show you the world,” he said to his beloved and he leaned closer to him, eager to taste his lips once more. “If you let me Jared, I could show you everything.”

Instead of sweet lips touching his, Jared pulled back. “Ouch!”

Jensen pulled back too, concerned. “What is it?”

“You stung me!”

For a moment, Jensen looked at Jared in confusion and then he realized. “Oh, oh.” And he pulled out the hairpin from his pocket and held it out to Jared. “This is for you.”

Jared took it, obviously puzzled. “I know my hair is long, but you know I’m not actually a girl, right?” he asked, turning the small object over in his large hand.

Jensen shifted a bit, feeling a tad uncomfortable and then realized the movement was affecting Jared in a very distinct way so he did it again, and a few more times for good measure. Jared’s face was flushing; it was a good look on him. 

“Hairpin?” Jared prompted.

Oh yeah, that. “You had admired it, back at the cave. You were looking at the dragonfly’s wings. There was an artist, long ago, she was famous for making dragonflies, she put them on everything. Mirrors, combs, hairpins. Her work was beautiful, your work is reminiscent of hers– delicate, precise, but surprising in your choice of colors and textures.”

Jared was really flushing now. “It is a beautiful piece of art.”

Jensen held his hand out. “I’m sorry, this was a stupid idea. I’ll get you something better.”

Jared pulled the hairpin out of Jensen’s reach. “No, it’s lovely. It’s perfect. But I’m telling you now I’m not going to wear it.”

Jensen grinned wider. “No?” he asked. He shifted his body so that he was closer to Jared’s, their chests were almost touching now. He could feel Jared getting harder beneath him.

“No,” Jared replied, placing the hairpin carefully beside him. When he looked back at Jensen, he was licking his lips. Jensen could feel nervousness and heat coming from him. He wanted less of the former and more of the latter for his boy, so he reached over and ran a finger over one of Jared’s nipples. Jared gasped and the amount of heat emanating from him soared. 

“Not even for me?” Jensen asked, teasingly. He caressed the other nipple, and both now were tiny hard buds. “Not even if I asked nicely?” He licked his own lips, watching Jared’s eyes track the movement and then leaned down to take a nipple in his mouth. Jared bucked up so high that he almost unseated Jensen. Jensen licked the bud, teased it a bit with a hint of teeth. When he raised back up, Jared’s hands were in the grass, compulsively grasping and then releasing, tufts of grass left in his wake. “It’s okay to touch darling,” Jensen assured him before leaning down and tasting the other nub.

**Jared**

He had never felt anything like this in his life. He never even dreamed he would want someone to touch his nipples, much less with their mouths. He was getting harder by the moment and even after Jensen gave him permission, he didn’t know how to touch, or where to touch.

He was so bad at this. Jensen would be sorry he was his bonded when he realized that Jared was a clumsy oaf who had never even –

Holy hells. Jensen’s teeth nipped at one nipple as his hand pinched the other and Jared thought he was going to burst into flames. He had to touch. He just had to.

His hands felt too big as he placed them on Jensen’s back, tentatively rubbing his fingers against the rough fabric of Jensen’s shirt.

“That’s good my love.” Jensen lifted his head up. His lips were shiny and wet, and Jared didn’t even think about it, he pulled Jensen closer to him and crushed their lips together.

It was more intense than any other time they had kissed. There was a clash of teeth and tongue and Jared could feel Jensen’s own hard cock pushing against his lower stomach and he had a sudden intense need to see more – to see everything.

“What in the name of all the gods is happening here?” a voice thundered close to them.

Jared startled, knocking Jensen right off of him which was almost as mortifying as being caught shirtless with Jensen on his lap by Farmer Gregor. 

He didn’t know where to look – at Farmer Gregor’s thunderous face or Jensen, who he had knocked flat on his back. He looked down instead, and realized that he was quite obviously hard by the tent in his pants.

“You are that dragon everyone’s talking about,” Father Gregor was saying to Jensen. He stood up, realizing that Father Gregor’s tone was far south of being polite.

“And I think that’s my cue to leave,” Jensen replied. Jared held out a hand to help him up, and when they touched Jared felt amusement. It wasn’t coming from him; all he was feeling was mortification.

“What is it Jared?” Jensen asked as Jared quickly dropped his hand. He was still feeling the amusement, now tinged with a hint of worry but it was beginning to fade as his heart beat faster.

“What is it son?” Father Gregor asked. “What has the dragon done to you?”

“Nothing,” Jared answered quickly. “Nothing. I just felt, I think it was from you Jensen. I think I felt you,” Jared said, not wanting to say more in front of the old farmer.

Jensen whooped, the sound startling in the stillness of the growing darkness . “I knew it wouldn’t be long.”

Jared smiled back and then realized he already couldn’t feel anything again. His smile faded. “It’s gone.”

“That’s okay, that is fine. Tomorrow it will be stronger and the next day stronger still.” Jensen reassured him.

“It’s getting late and some of us need to get to bed,” Father Gregor said pointedly.

“Nobody is stopping you,” Jensen retorted, tone not all that friendly either. To Jared he said, “So, I think I’ll fly home. But I’ll need a favor from you.”

“Anything,” Jared replied.

Jensen took off his shirt and handed in to Jared. Jared realized what he was doing, and he knew he was flushing again. Beside him Father Gregor gasped.

“If you don’t want to see everything,” Jensen began as he removed his shoes and handed them to Jared, “You probably should be turning around.”

Jared started to do just that, when strong hands held him in place.

“Not you, Jared. I want to give you something to dream about tonight.” Jensen made sure Jared was looking and then very slowly began pulling down his pants.

He wasn’t wearing any under garments.

Jensen’s cock was still slightly erect and Jared had never seen one that was not his own. He felt a strange sense of hunger just from looking at it, how thick and long it was. Jared could look at nothing else until he heard amused laughter as Jensen’s pants were handed to him. “Hold that thought my love,” he said, their lips touched once more, both ignoring Father Gregor’s righteous gasp of indignation.

The change was so quick that Jared’s eyes couldn’t focus properly on it. There was a blur and Jensen was growing, body reforming and before Jared’s mind could catch up to what his eyes were seeing, a huge beautiful dragon stood in front of him.

Jared reached up and touched Jensen’s scales. They were surprisingly cool to the touch. Jensen’s long nose nudged Jared’s. And then his wings expanded, and he was lifting up in the air. Jared watched, awe-struck as the magnificent creature circled over their heads a few times and then headed to the mountain.

“He’s got you under his spell,” Father Gregor grumbled beside him.

As Jared watched the dragon disappear into the darkness, he had to admit that Father Gregor was right about that. And thank the gods he was.


	6. Chapter 6

**Jared**

If Jared thought the townspeople were anti-dragon before, after Farmer Gregor had told his story of what he had seen, bare-chested Jared and all, they were even more persistent in their attempts to “save” Jared from falling into the clutches of the evil dragon.

It was the last straw when three children, fresh from their day at the schoolhouse, stopped at the blacksmith shop to explain to Jared what a horrible mistake he was making and how he was putting them, and the whole town, in peril by befriending a dragon.

Jared bit his lip until it bled so he wouldn’t yell at them, and then headed to the family’s stables.

They had four horses. One for each of them. Both his and his brother’s horses were large, sturdy stallions who were used to handling men of their size. The wagon stored beside the stables belonged to the entire family. He hitched both his brother’s horse Steel and his own horse Thunder to the wagon and retrieved Jensen’s clothes from the house.

He took some bread and butter from the kitchen, along with a block of sharp cheese, some venison and a handful of vanilla cookies his mother had made earlier that day.

And then he headed to the bottom of the mountain.

Where he had hours to wait until their appointed meeting time.

Jared thought about what Jensen said about the bond. He still didn’t fully understand it, but Jensen had known what he was feeling the day before while Jensen had still been up in the mountain, so they didn’t have to be close for the bond to work.

Please come now he thought.

He looked up. Nothing.

Jensen said it wasn’t thoughts, but feelings.

He focused on his feelings of longing, of want. He closed his eyes so he could concentrate more, conjuring up a figure of Jensen standing in front of him, strong, confident, that sexy smile of his –

And he heard the rushing sound of wings and opened his eyes to see Jensen in his dragon form landing in front of him.

A few seconds later, a very naked Jensen looking infinitely pleased was smirking at him. “You missed me.”

Jared handed him his clothes, careful not to look downward. His dreams had indeed featured Jensen and his cock very prominently, very wicked dreams that he didn’t want to recall with Jensen so temptingly near.

“Hmm,” Jensen hummed as he pulled his shirt over his head. “We should go somewhere private and explore what is it about me that is leaving that pretty pink flush on your cheeks.”

Damn, he was flushing around Jensen so much that his cheeks were in danger of being permanently pink. 

A change of subject was exceedingly needed. 

“I was thinking we could go out to a lake I used to visit as a child. It’s about an hour’s ride out, if you are interested.”

“I am interested in any place you want to take me,” Jensen replied, as he pulled his shoes on. Standing, he pulled Jared into a kiss before just as abruptly letting him go. “I’m sorry the townspeople gave you such a hard time again today. And I am even sorrier that I am the cause.”

They climbed up onto the wagon. Jared grabbed hold of the reins.

“It’s not your fault,” Jared reassured the man beside him. “I’m just happy you are here with me now.”

“Anytime you need me, I will come,” Jensen promised him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jared could see his father approaching them at a fast pace. It was past time for them to be on their way. He clicked the reins, and the horses headed to the east, out of town, soon leaving his father far behind. Jared knew he should feel guilty about taking the wagon and his brother’s horse Steel without permission, but all he felt was relief at being saved from another lecture about the evils of dragons.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jensen asked him, nudging his shoulder.

“No, I really don’t,” Jared replied. “I want to talk about you. Tell me about one of your adventures, I know you’ve had many.”

Jensen launched into a story about a dancing bear who had developed a very inconvenient crush on him and by the time they reached the lake, Jared was laughing so hard, tears were rolling down his face.

“That can’t be true,” Jared said, words wheezing through his laughter. 

“As I am sitting here,” Jensen said, placing his hand on his heart as his oath. “Three hundred pounds of bear trying to sit on my lap.”

Jared let go of the reins and tried to catch his breath.

Jensen took his hands. “What I am feeling from you in this moment is joy. That’s my wish for you forever Jared, nothing but love and joy.”

And then he kissed him, and the village and all the problems therein just melted away.

**Jensen**

He was the luckiest dragon ever.

His boy was curious, asking him all kinds of questions about dragons and Jensen’s exploits (which he may have exaggerated a little, but just a little) and in turn told Jensen about his childhood, how blissful and tranquil it had been. He told Jensen about how he developed his art, how he found beauty in the smallest of things – the sun glinting on a stone, the peaceful tranquility of this lake at nightfall, the softness of a comforter luring him to sleep and Jensen realized that his bonded was a collector of treasures, just like he was, but of a different kind.

They had eaten and were sitting by the lake. It was dusk, and the first stars were just beginning to glisten in the sky.

“Of all the places you’ve seen, what is your favorite?” Jared asked, sounding a bit wistful. “The furthest I’ve been is three villages over, but you’ve been everywhere.”

Jensen thought about it a moment. Jared had his arm around Jensen’s shoulders, Jensen’s arm was around Jared’s waist. There was something so peaceful in just sitting close this way. He had no idea how he had ever lived without this man’s strong, kind presence beside him.

“It was a cottage by the sea. You’d like the sea Jared. The waters are calm, cool, so crystal blue that you can easily see the fish swimming in its depths. I would wake up every morning and swim, sometimes a dolphin would stop by and sayhello.”

“It sounds perfect,” Jared said beside him. He leaned over, touching his head to Jensen’s. 

“The town is small, but the people there are happy. They are fishermen, and craftsmen, mainly. There is a bazaar once a month where people sell their goods, but if you haven’t any coin, they are happy to let you barter with whatever you do have. I lived there for quite a long time, longer than I should have stayed.”

Jared lifted his head up to look at him. “You were sad about leaving there.”

“Did you feel that through the bond?” Jensen asked.

“No, I can see it in your eyes.”

“We could go there, you and I,” Jensen said and when he said it out loud it felt right. “We should go there and live. We could open up our own blacksmith shop. I’d be the blacksmith; you’d be the artist.”

“Have you ever been a blacksmith?” Jared asked him curiously.

Jensen shrugged. “No, but I like learning new skills. Plus, dragon fire is stronger than your human fire. Burns brighter too. Think how helpful that would be.”

“I could teach you.” Jared offered. “I’ve watched my brother forge steel more times than I can count.”

“See, it could work out Jared. We will find a home that is ours, and I will take you swimming every morning.”

“I don’t know how to swim,” Jared admitted. “This lake is the only one I’ve ever been to and as you can see, it is a shallow one.”

Jensen stood up, holding out a hand to Jared. Jared was a nice sized man for sure, big and strong, but Jensen was a dragon and he proudly used his dragon’s strength to pull Jared up and straight into his arms. “I could teach you,” he said, as his hands stroked his beloved’s back. “I could teach you so much, if you would let me.”

“I would love to go with you.” Jared was looking down at him, his teeth worrying his lower lip. “But my family –”

“Your family will never accept me.” Of that Jensen was sure. “You are a man full grown Jared, it’s time you did what is best for you.”

“I suppose.” But Jared still sounded uncertain. “If we did go there, could you be you?”

Jensen looked up into Jared’s hazel eyes, puzzled. “I am me now.”

“No, I mean, live openly as a dragon. If I move there with you, I want the whole you, I don’t want you to hide half of yourself.”

Jensen let go of Jared. Jared meant well but he had no clue what he was asking. “And be treated like the people in your village are treating me? Don’t ask that of me Jared, it’s not fair.”

Jared grabbed his hand, keeping him near. “No, don’t you see? If they got to know you, the real you, they wouldn’t fear you. It’s the unknown that people fear. If the people in the village could see you, see how beautiful and kind and funny and giving you are, they wouldn’t fear you or your dragon.”

Jensen puffed his chest out, feeling slightly offended. “Are you saying my dragon is not fearsome?”

Jared laughed; it was quickly becoming one of Jensen’s favorite sounds in the world. “Your dragon is very fearsome. But the villagers would learn that none of that fearsomeness would be directed at them, that instead the dragon would keep them safe. I want to live with you in your house by the sea, but I want to live there wholly. I think if you stop hiding part of yourself you would be so much happier.”

“And if I agreed to this madness?” Jensen asked. “Would you come with me?”

“Maybe. Probably. Someday,” Jared hedged. “It’s a very nice dream.”

It was. And the more he thought about it, the more he thought Jared’s idea had merit. He was tired of hiding his dragon, of fearing people’s reactions, of leaving towns just because people remarked on his youthful appearance.

“It doesn’t have to be a dream.” Jensen was pulling Jared into his arms again. He felt lost when Jared was too far away from him. “We could live there, and every now and then we could fly to new places, see new things. I could show you the world Jared and all the wonders in it. You are too big to be contained this way, and I’m not talking about your size although there is that too,” he teased, just to see his love’s cheeks pinken up again. “But your heart is too big, your soul too adventurous, your love of beauty too great for you to be caged here. It can all be yours; all be ours, all you have to do is take a leap of faith.”

Jared was smiling down at him. “I can feel you,” he said, with joy in his voice. “I can feel what is pouring out of you, and it’s happiness and love. The bond is working Jensen, I can feel you.”

**Jared**

He had meant for them to be headed home by now, but it was so hard even thinking about saying goodbye to Jensen. Especially with dreams of the sea and a life of adventure and love dancing in his mind.

He would hate to leave his parents, his life here.

But to go with Jensen –

Jared had no idea how they got here. One moment they were kissing by the lake, Jensen tugging on his clothes and the very next moment they were lying in the wagon, completely naked and Jensen’s hands were touching him everywhere and Jared was too filled with need to be embarrassed by being so exposed.

“How is that I am the dragon?” Jensen was asking, hands ghosting over Jared’s nipples, and moving lower. “And you are the one who burns so hot?”

It was true, Jared was on fire. Every inch of his body, every place Jensen touched, was on fire.

He reached out a hand and curiously touched one of Jensen’s nipples and was rewarded by Jensen’s sharp intake of breath. Feeling bolder he let his thumb rub against it, watching Jensen’s irises darken as he did so.

“Oh gods Jared, I am trying to be slow and patient and you are making it difficult to be so.”

“So, don’t be.” Jared rubbed the other nipple, watching in fascination as it hardened too. “You said you would teach me everything Jensen, so teach me this.”

Jensen seemed flustered for a moment, and Jared was fairly proud that he flustered a dragon. Then Jensen reached out and unscrewed the lantern, which was definitely a puzzlement. When he lifted his hand again, it was glistening with <strike>the</strike> oil from the lamp.

Jared began to say something, but Jensen shushed him with a quick kiss. “Lean all the way back Jared.”

Jared did, watching with big eyes as Jensen’s hand reached down and grabbed his cock.

Oh holy hells. If Jared thought he was on fire before, it was nothing compared to the all-consuming flames devouring him now. Nothing but his own hand had ever touched him there, and just the lightest touch of Jensen’s fingers had his cock fully erect and pulsing with need. “Jensen,” he pleaded. He was blindly reaching for Jensen, needing to touch.

“Sh, I am going to take care of you,” Jensen promised. He acquired more oil and coated one of Jared’s hands. “Here, touch me too.”

Jensen was stroking him now, up and down, his hand firm and sure, the feeling so intense that Jared felt like he was a breath away from exploding. “I don’t know how,” he confessed. “What if I do it wrong?” He would be too rough, he knew it. His hand was too large, his fingers calloused from his work with stones and sharp jewels. 

“Nothing you could do would be wrong,” Jensen assured him, but he stopped stroking and Jared felt a whine emerge from deep down in his throat that he probably should be ashamed of but wasn’t.

“Let’s try this,” Jensen said. “Sit up a moment and move over.”

Jared did, and watched as Jensen laid down where he had just risen from. “Give me your hand,” Jensen requested and Jared did, still unsure.

Jensen held on to the back of Jared’s hand and guided it to Jensen’s cock. It was already more than half erect and Jared felt his own cock jump when his fingers touched it. “That’s it my love, up and down, just like I was doing.” Jared could feel the cock swelling as his fingers stroked over the hard flesh. Feeling bolder he made his touch firmer, watching Jensen arch into it. “That’s it. That’s so good, but stop now okay? I want to try something.”

Jared was ready to try anything. He was hard and needy, and he wanted anything from Jensen, everything.

“Get on top of me,” Jensen requested. Jared frowned. He was taller than Jensen, heavier. He didn’t want to squash him. As if Jensen was reading his mind he added. “I am a dragon remember? No human can ever hurt me.”

Jared couldn’t help <strike>the</strike> roll his eyes, but he positioned himself on top of Jensen, using his hands to brace himself because he still didn’t want to crush Jensen, no matter what Jensen said. Jensen’s own hands were free, and he grabbed onto Jared’s hips. Jared had been so busy positioning himself, it was just then he realized that their cocks were touching, both hard and wet from the oil.

“That’s it, just do this.” Jensen was pushing Jared up his body, guiding him back down, with each movement their cocks were grinding against each other.

Jared had never felt anything so intense in his life; so beautiful, so much pleasure.

“A little more.” His hips were moving faster, pressing closer to Jensen, Jensen was moving beneath him, the world was spinning around them. “I am so close baby. You feel so good, so perfect.” 

Jensen’s hands left Jared’s hips, but Jared knew how to move now, grinding up and down and he could feel his balls begin to tighten.

Jensen’s hands were on his ass, squeezing, applying exquisite pressure. Jensen’s lips were on his neck, licking, sucking. Jensen’s voice was raspier. “So, close my love, almost there.”

Jensen gave a sharp squeeze to his ass, just as their cocks slid together in just the perfect way and Jared was coming, coming so hard that the world went white. It was only when he collapsed right on top of him that he realized Jensen had come too.

He could feel pride and a drifty kind of contentment emanating from beneath him. And in that moment, he knew, he had bonded with this man. It was as if part of Jensen was inside him, and he knew Jensen felt him the same way.

Two had become one..

Still, after a few seconds where they both caught their breaths, when Jensen asked him what he was feeling, Jared already had the answer ready. “Sticky,” he grumbled..

Jensen laughed beneath him; he could feel his body shake with Jensen’s. “Come on then. We’ll wash in the lake.”

**Jensen**

It was morning when he awoke. Jared limbs were entwined with his so closely that when Jensen looked down at their naked bodies, it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. He realized with a start it was quite late. He never slept this long.

He knew that Jared never intended to sleep at all, that it would bother Jared that his parents would worry about him. After they washed off, they had laid on the bank of the small lake, to dry off and to talk and one moment Jensen was telling Jared about the tall trees that grew around the village by the sea and then next – it was now.

Jensen gently shook Jared’s shoulder. “Hey Jared, I think it’s time to wake up now.”

Jared groaned and then burrowed his head into Jensen’s chest and really, who could blame Jensen when he took a few moments to stroke Jared’s hair? It was longer than most men, silky, the ends were wavy, and Jensen could imagine how majestic it would be even longer. He could wear it tied back, like Jensen had seen the men in the furthest west do. 

Then he heard the wagon wheels, the sound of a horse calling to Jared’s horse. Jared sat up, panic clear even without the bond.

“Clothes!” Jared frantically searched for them.

Jensen stood up. He had never been concerned about being naked. The shame humans felt about nakedness always puzzled him. The human body was beautiful, particularly Jared’s long lean one, the need to keep it covered at all times just didn’t make sense.

“It’s my parents,” Jared informed him. Jared quickly pulled on his pants and handed Jensen his. “Please Jensen.”

Because he didn’t want to cause Jared any more trouble, Jensen pulled his pants on and then his shirt. His feet were still bare. Jared was already fully dressed, running his fingers through his hair to tame it. Jensen saw a pouch lying where their clothes had been.

“Is this yours?” he asked, picking it up.

Jared nodded. “I keep the hairpin it in, so it doesn’t pinch me.” 

“You keep it with you?” Jensen asked, pleased that his big treasure liked the little one he had been given. 

Jared answer was forestalled by the wagon pulling up beside him. His mother and father were on it, they must have borrowed this one from someone because Jared had theirs.

“Thank the Gods,” his mother said, taking Jared’s hand as he helped her down. “We’ve been looking all over for you and then Thomas remembered this lake.”

“I’m sorry,” Jared apologized; Jensen frowned when he felt Jared’s guilt. “We never meant to stay out so long.”

Jared’s father waved his hand in a dismissing motion. “We are just happy we found you. Your mother’s sister is very ill, your mother wants to leave right away. You are to accompany her.”

“Gertrude?” Jared asked. 

“Yes, we got a message late last night. We’ve been looking for you since then,” his mother said reproachfully. Jensen couldn’t help but notice that both were pointedly ignoring him. “Your dad and your brother can’t leave the shop of course, so it has to be you that goes with me.”

Jared looked at his parents. “There’s a lot going on right now. Can someone else perhaps take you?”

“Jared Padalecki,” his father said sternly. “Are you telling me you won’t help your mother out in her time of need?”

Jared’s back straightened. “No sir. Of course not. I’ll be happy to take you, Mother. Your safety comes first, naturally.” Jared turned to Jensen. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be.”

“Go. We’ll talk more about our plans when you get back.” He didn’t kiss Jared, though he wanted to, knowing Jared wouldn’t want to upset his parents. He hoped this incident wouldn’t dampen Jared’s enthusiasm for going with him, that Jared wouldn’t think his parents needed him too much to ever leave. “I will know when you return and will see you then.” 

He watched as Jared helped his mother onto their wagon and hitched the horses that had been grazing in the grass near the lake. Jared turned to him one last time before leaving, and Jensen gave him his most reassuring smile. 

Jared’s father was still standing there, which was highly annoying. He wanted him to leave so he could disrobe and transform into his dragon.

To his surprise, Jared’s father spoke to him. “I was hoping you’d come back to the village and have a drink with me.”

Jensen was the only one there, so he must be talking to him as unlikely as that was.

“You want to have a drink with me?” he asked.

“Well, my son insists that you are to be a part of his life and I wanted to give us the opportunity to get to know each other. I figured a few drinks would help the process along.” His sheepish look reminded Jensen a lot of Jared’s.

He really didn’t want to get to know the man better, but for Jared’s sake he would try. “Alright then, lead the way.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Jared**

Jared was listening to his mother’s nervous chatter, keeping an eye on the horses as they traveled down the dusty narrow road, but most of his focus was on trying to feel Jensen. He got vague feelings of curiosity and a bit of uncertainty which seemed strange as Jensen was always so self-assured. But the feelings filtered in and out and Jared worried that he was trying too hard, or not hard enough, or that his bond still wasn’t as firmly set as Jensen’s side of it was.

But still, in the last few days certain things had crystalized for Jared. The feelings of longing and lust he had felt when he and Jensen had first met had been replaced by stronger feelings of love and the desire to belong to Jensen and for Jensen to belong to him.

He had felt Jensen’s trepidation when he had left and wanted to reassure him however, he didn’t want to make his parents more anxious. But he had woken up this morning with the absolute conviction that he was going to leave his village and go live with Jensen in his home by the sea. He would give his parents time to adjust, help them find his replacement (the Turner’s nephew Jace, had always shown an interest in Jared’s work, and had good artistic instincts) and then he was going to fly off with his dragon.

He thought he would feel anxious about leaving everything familiar behind, for leaving his parents and family but he just felt calm surety that he was doing the right thing. Besides, if his parents chose to accept Jensen, he and Jensen could visit. Jensen had assured him that his dragon was very fast and could travel vast distances quickly. 

And now that they were more fully bonded, Jared could ride Jensen. He was looking forward to that, in an this was going to be terrifying kind of way.

“Jared, have you heard a word I’ve said?” his mother asked, interrupting his fantasy which had wandered into other ways he could ride Jensen…

Jared blinked and then looked over at her. They had traveled quite a distance without him even noticing. Maybe he should focus a bit more on what he was doing. He had a lifetime to spend with his dragon, but a limited amount of time to win his mother over to the idea.

“I’m sorry Mother. I was lost in thought,” Jared replied.

“About that dragon,” his mother huffed.

They were approaching the village of Varsyl and the road was widening . A few horses and their riders passed them, headed the other way. “Jensen is a really good man Mother. I wish you’d let me tell you about him.”

“Fine then.” Jared was so surprised he almost dropped the reins. He looked over to his mother to see if she was joking, but her expression was serious. “Why don’t you stop by one of the inns in the village and we’ll have lunch and we can talk. You must be famished, I know you missed breakfast.”

Jared looked at his mother in shock. “Aren’t you in a hurry to get to Aunt Gertrude?”

“She’s being taken care of her by her children. A few hours more or less won’t matter none,” her mother said, as they were passing Red Rooster Inn. “Here’s a good place to stop.”

Jared stopped in front of the inn, someone came to take the wagon and horses to the back to care for them. As he helped his mother down off the wagon, he realized he could no longer feel Jensen at all, just a strange kind of emptiness.

He worried for a moment, then thought maybe Jensen was asleep. He couldn’t have gotten a good night’s rest sleeping on the hard ground by the lake with Jared twisted all over him. Jared had slept like a baby, but Jensen probably hadn’t.

Deciding not to worry about it now, that he’d sense Jensen when he woke up, Jared held the door open to the inn and followed his mother inside.

**Jensen**

He woke up with a start.

His head was fuzzy, and he had a headache that hurt like blue blazes.

He groaned as he struggled to more fully awaken.

He was lying on a hard, wooden floor.

It took more than a couple of tries to get his eyes open.

There was light coming from a window high above his head, and even that subdued light hurt his eyes.

He sat up, every limb protested the movement, but nothing seemed to be broken, except maybe his head.

His mouth was dry, his tongue felt grimy.

The last thing he remembered was being at Jared’s house, his father handing him a mug of ale….

He stood up so suddenly that his stomach threatened to rebel. He had been drugged.

He looked around more fully. He was in a small room. A very small room. There was no way to transform in here, his dragon would never fit which was of course, the reason this room was chosen for him. There was a small bucket in the corner, he knew what that was for. A steel door in front of him which, no surprise there, was locked.

Pure, unadulterated rage replaced shock How dare these people lock him away? Keep him from his dragon? Separate him from his bonded?

Headache forgotten, he pounded viciously at the door, demanding to be released.

**Jared**

Jared’s mother seemed nervous, glancing at the inn door several times as they ate. It became apparent that she was not interested in what Jared had to say about Jensen, in fact she barely paid attention to him at all.

“What’s wrong?” Jared finally asked.

“What? Nothing, I am just worried about poor Gertrude that’s all.”

“If that’s true, why are we still here?” Jared asked. They had finished eating several minutes ago. They had paid the innkeeper. But Jared’s mother had insisted she needed to rest a minute, still tired from their travels which was ridiculous as she was a strong woman and they had only traveled an hour or so.

“Mother, I demand to –”

And that’s when it hit him. A feeling so strong, so crystal clear that Jared almost collapsed to the floor in pain. Jensen was hurt, Jensen was in a lot of pain and underneath the pain, there was rage.

Once Jared was sure his legs would hold him, he rose to his feet and looked down at his mother. “What have you done?”

His mother flushed and then stammered. “Jared, I have no idea what you are implying - why don’t you sit down, and we’ll discuss this –”

But Jared was already headed to the door. His dragon was in trouble.

He wasn’t entirely surprised when he made his way to the back of the inn to fetch his horse and found his father dismounting off his own.

“What have you done?” Jared asked the same question again.

His father did not look guilty, nor did he stammer. “What had to be done. You wouldn’t listen to reason. We talked to Farmer Gregor. We know what happened in the apple orchard. And last night – you were out all night with him. We had to save you while there was still time.”

Jared fought off an overwhelming need to shake his father until his teeth rattled. “What have you done?” he asked for the third and final time.

“What needed to be. The spell that dragon placed on you will break in time. You will be our son again; everything will go back to the way it was.”

Jared was through trying to get a reasonable answer, Jensen needed him. Instead he took Thunder’s reins and mounted him. His father was still yelling after him as he rode out of town.

He had no idea where Jensen was, but he knew he had to be close by for his father to have done whatever he had and made it to the inn to meet up with his mother, so he headed back to the village, riding hard.

The pain from Jensen was lessening, but the rage was rising. Jared could feel it burning his own skin.

He was halfway to the village when he felt a strong sense of foreboding that he was headed the wrong way.

He stopped the horse, not far from the lake that he and Jensen had spent the night.

Where was Jensen?

In front of him was the village, and he knew Jensen wasn’t behind him. To the left, was endless expanses of wilderness with the nearest inhabitants about a three-hour ride. To the left – the old monastery.

Jared had only been there once, the monks had scared him as a child; so stern and austere. He wasn’t even sure where it was exactly, but he knew it hadn’t been very far. He turned his horse in that direction and rode for all he was worth.

It wasn’t long until he saw the building, made of dark brick with sharp angles, in front of him. His horse was running at a full gallop, sensing the urgency that was welling up in Jared.

He barely waited for Thunder to stop moving before he leapt off of him and rushed to the door, knocking insistently.

A monk answered, a small man, dressed from head to toe in black. “Can I help you?” he asked, but his eyes didn’t quite meet Jared’s and it wasn’t because of the height difference.

“Take me to Jensen,” Jared ordered tersely. He knew, beyond any doubt, Jensen was here somewhere. 

“I am sorry, there is no one by that name here,” the monk replied and attempted to close the door. Jared put his foot in the way, stopping the action.

“He is here, and I demand you take me to him.” Jared rarely used his height as an advantage, in fact he usually tried to slump his shoulders to look smaller and less threatening. But now he squared his shoulders back, stuck his chest out, and drew up to his full height. He was almost as tall as the door and there was no way this small man was going to keep him from his dragon. 

The man was so nervous he was actually shaking but remained firm in his resolve. “You must leave. This is a sacred place and –”

Jared picked him up, walked into the monastery, and put him back down again.

The place was huge, beautiful and, besides the two of them, empty. Jared began to wonder if this was the last monk left. No one came to the monk’s aid, and there was no movement or noise anywhere.

“Last chance,” Jared warned the monk. “Take me to him.”

The monk just shook his head in reply. 

“Fine, I’ll find him myself.”

He headed to the staircase, spiraling its way to the next floor, but paused. That wasn’t right. Jensen wasn’t up there. He went down the closest hallway, past rooms with open doors, unoccupied and forsaken.

At the end of the hall was a closed door.

And Jared’s heart leapt, because he knew Jensen was behind that door.

And then he stared in frustration at the padlock on the door.

He knew that the monk was hiding somewhere, it would take precious time from freeing his dragon to find him. The monk had the key, or Jared’s father had it, it didn’t matter which one, Jared wouldn’t be getting it from them. Although a very satisfying picture of taking each of them, turning them over and shaking them until the key fell out did come to mind.

He needed something to unlock the door. There were things he could use to break the padlock in the blacksmith shop, but it would take at least an hour to ride there and back and Thunder was already winded.

Or….

There used to be a locksmith in town, a bachelor named Byron Brown who the townspeople thought was a little too slick, a lot too shady. Jared had found him fascinating and his innate curiosity that urged him to learn about all things, led him to follow the locksmith around for a while. One of the things the locksmith had taught him was how to pick a lock; a trick he told Jared came in handy the way keys were always slipping out of people’s pockets and disappearing.

He didn’t have one of the picks the locksmith had always seemed to carry.

But he did have a hairpin.

With trembling fingers, he took the pouch out of his pocket and removed the hair pin, despite his rough ride on Thunder, it was still perfect, precious stones flickering in the little light that was in the hallway. He held it by the dragonfly wings and placed the pin in the lock. His heart was pounding as he tried to remember how to twist it just so.

One try, two, ten. Each failed attempt had Jared feeling more frustrated, to the point he could feel tears prickling in his eyes.

And then a huge wave of calm floated over him, sent to him Jared knew from the other side of the door.

Jared stopped what he was doing, and he let the calm soothe him.

And then he placed the hairpin back into the lock, moved it until he heard the click and then –

**Jensen**

His boy had done it.

He had found him, and he had saved him.

Jensen no longer tried to control his feelings when he saw the door open, instead he flung himself out of the door, pushing himself into Jared who gave an “oof” of a response as his back hit the wall. 

“I don’t think the best way to thank me for rescuing you is by fracturing my back,” Jared grumbled, but Jensen could feel his relief and his joy because they matched his feelings perfectly and then they were kissing, hands roaming, together the way they always should be.

“We really should get out of here,” Jared said between kisses. “My parents are on their way I am certain.”

That got Jensen’s attention.

“Your father drugged me,” he said and if he was pouting a bit, he well deserved to be after what he had been put through. Imagine the audacity of caging a dragon.

“I know,” Jared said, tugging at his hand, leading him down the hallway. “There was never an illness, this was their way of keeping us apart.”

“How long were they going to keep me in that horrid place?” Jensen asked, looking around curiously as he obediently followed Jared into a huge room at the end of the hallway. There was a spiral staircase, and way above his head was a ceiling of painted glass. It was very pretty. Probably hard to break though, and even harder to carry back with him.

“Until I came to my senses,” Jared said, taking him through the door that led outside.

“Forever then,” Jensen was suddenly overwhelmed by his sense of freedom. He picked Jared up and Jared gave another surprised “oof” and then he twirled him around, Jared’s feet dragging the ground as they spun. 

“Put me down you idiot,” Jared ordered, but his laughter belied the sternness of his words.

Jensen was just about to get dizzy himself when he heard. “Unhand him dragon.”

Okay Jared would probably be unhappy if he burned his parents but maybe if he just singed them a bit….

**Jared**

Once Jensen stopped spinning him, and what a rush it was that Jensen was strong enough to do that, Jared turned around to face his parents.

“I’m going with him,” he told them flatly. “I hope someday I can forgive you for this, I really do, but that day will not be today.”

“If you leave with him, you will be ruined. Your reputation will be in tatters. I won’t have a son who –”

“Jared, I think it’s time you saw the sea,” Jensen interrupted, without even looking at his father. “Tomorrow morning, we will wake up at sunrise, have our first swim in the sea. And I will tell everyone there, proudly, that I am your dragon.”

Jared nodded, “I’m ready.” 

Jensen transformed, the movement so fast that to Jared, there was a blur and now a dragon, majestic and fierce, stood in front of him. His parents, and the monk who had rejoined them, fell back.

After breathing fire in the direction of Jared’s parents, but well above their heads, the dragon lowered himself and after taking a few deep breaths to try to calm his racing heart, Jared climbed on the back of him.

There was nothing really to hold on. Jared patted Jensen’s neck and hoped that Jensen knew what he was doing.

Jensen spread his wings and then lifted off the ground.

Jared’s heart was beating so hard he was afraid it was going to fly from his chest. The ground beneath him was getting further and further away, and his parents mere specks and then Jared lifted his eyes and looked up.

The sun shined down, warming and blessing him. The world was whooshing by him, dark shapes blurring away into other shapes.

He was soaring. He was flying. 

His fear of falling forgotten, Jared lifted his arms and spread them wide, feeling at peace with his decision, feeling one with his dragon, feeling joy so pure he burst into laughter.

He was free.


End file.
